


Holiday Shopping

by Ayami (Syrica)



Series: Setleth Week 2019 [4]
Category: Fire Emblem Three Houses
Genre: Byleth definitely has a crush, F/M, No Proofreading We Die Like Men, Pre-Relationship, You know that one romantic trope where a character goes off about how nice someone’s eyes are?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 13:14:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21969898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Syrica/pseuds/Ayami
Summary: Seteth needs some help picking out a gift for someone
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth/Seteth
Series: Setleth Week 2019 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1577923
Comments: 4
Kudos: 69





	Holiday Shopping

**Author's Note:**

> Setleth Week Prompt 4: Yule/Holiday Celebration

Byleth strode down the halls of the Officer’s Academy at her usual pace- running. There was much to do and not nearly enough time in the day to do it all, and the holiday season only made things more hectic.

“ _Professor_!” A familiar voice called out to her as she crossed the courtyard, and she looked up to see Seteth making his way towards her in an uncharacteristically hurried fashion. 

“Good afternoon, Seteth.” She greeted him.

“Good afternoon, professor. Are you quite busy at the moment?”

Byleth was in fact very busy, but something about this man always made it nearly impossible to say no to him. Especially ever since Rhodos Coast, she’d seen a sincerity in him that she could never quite fully push out of her mind.

“No” she lied, “I have nothing going on at the moment, do you need something?” 

She internally kicked herself for being so weak when came to him.

“Indeed, I would very much like your assistance in a certain matter. As you know, the winter festivities are coming up very soon. I had planned on making Flayn a gift myself, though with all of the, er, excitement of this year, I have been unable to put anything together.”

Byleth nodded, indicating she was following along.

“If I could request your assistance in finding her a gift at the market, I would be most grateful.” He finished.

“You… want me to go shopping with you?” Byleth slowly clarified, while simultaneously trying to keep her stomach from doing flips. Doing _domestic_ things never interested Byleth before in her entire life, but for some reason the idea of doing them with Seteth… 

“Essentially, yes.” He nodded. “She speaks of you quite fondly and often, I have no doubt you would be indispensable in finding something that she would like. And…” he shifted slightly, “I am not entirely confident in my ability to identify what is currently fashion for youths around her age.”

Byleth gave him a reassuring smile, “Of course I will accompany you.”

“You have my thanks professor. May we depart now?” He held out his arm for her.

Byleth nodded “Let’s not waste any time then.” She hooked her arm with his own, hoping she didn’t come across as overly eager to do so. 

Realistically, there was no reason to link arms but neither cared nor objected.

It didn’t take all that long to make it to the market, and once they exited the hall, Seteth brought his free hand over his eyes as they scanned the open stalls. 

Then with little warning, two things occurred in quick succession: the steel of the blacksmith reflected in just the right way so as to shine directly in his line of sight, and Byleth roughly jolted him with a pull on his arm, directing him away from the basket he was about to trip over. “Careful there.”

Seteth stopped and rubbed his eyes, “I thank you, professor. I don’t- goddess that was bright.” He said as he continued kneading his eyes with the heel of his palms until he began to see colors on the inside of his eyelids.

Byleth gave a sympathetic look- not that he could see- and gently guided him to a less busy area of the market.

“Are you… alright?” She questioned once they were safely in a shady corner. 

Seteth blinked rapidly a few times before turning towards her. Without thinking, Byleth slowly reached up with both hands and guided his face in her direction, inspecting his eyes. She wasn’t sure what she was even looking for, but if she had an idea before, it swiftly left her head as she met his gaze.

She realized she’d never been this close to his face before and she swore, the shade of his eyes would have stolen a beat from her heart if she had any.

“Is something the matter professor?” Seteth asked, absentmindedly laying his hand on hers. 

“I… I just never noticed your eyes bef-” she began before thinking better of it. 

The romantic connotations of what was obviously the full sentence did not escape Seteth but he mercifully let it go, if only to spare her some embarrassment.

“If it is alright with you, I would like to return to the market.” He offered, and Byleth nodded thankfully, moving to take his arm once more. 

“Now where were we before all of that?” He looked around the market once more “Ah, yes, this way.” He said, guiding them towards a stall that had a selection of jewelry stocked. 

Quickly, his eyes began scanning the offerings on sale, “You know, Flayn has told me much about being in your class.” Seteth said while picking up a trinket from the table and holding it up to the light. 

“Is that so?” She asked. She shouldn’t have been surprised by that, as much as Flayn mentions Seteth to her, it must also work the other way.

“Indeed. She often spends much of dinner regaling me with stories of the goings on in that classroom of yours.” He paused for a moment, eyes turning downwards, “I will admit… I may be a touch jealous, professor. She seems more fond of you than she is of me.”

Byleth’s eyes widened at his administration, “That can’t be right.” 

“I’m afraid it is. She speaks of you so highly and I-”

“She speaks of you as well.” Byleth interjected, not wanting to hear him say a single word against himself, “To me. All the time. She talks about how she wants to make you proud and all that you do for her.” Byleth didn’t notice she had slipped her hand from out of his arm in order to bring it to his face as she had before. Logically, she should have been embarrassed doing this in public, but she couldn’t think much of anything while looking in his eyes again.

Seteth didn’t move, he could only stare before he broke out into a soft smile. “Thank you, Byleth.” He said softly.

“Ma’am could tell your husband he’s gotta pay for that if he wants to keep it.” A tired voice cut through the tender moment, prompting Seteth to quickly look down at the necklace that was still in his hand, then back at the slightly miffed shopkeeper.

“I apologize, I had forgotten that I had it.” He gave the shopkeeper an apologetic look, as he placed the trinket back down.

“If you wanna get your daughter somthin we got smaller stuff on the side over here?”

He shook his head, “Thank you but I think we will keep looking over here”

The shopkeeper shrugged, “Suit yourselves.”

Byleth turned to focus on the jewelry, trying and failing to keep her mind of off being mistaken for Seteth’s wife and Seteth’s lack of corrections regarding said mistake.

“Professor, could you do me a favor and try this on?” He broke through her concentration with little effort, holding up a necklace with a small emerald charm at the base of it to her.

Byleth blinked, “Why?” 

“I think it would be much easier to imagine how well it would work if I saw it on a person.” He explained simply.

Byleth narrowed her eyes at him but outstretched her hand to receive the necklace nonetheless.   
He gently laid it in her palm, and she then made quick work of the lock, hanging it around her neck and turning to show him.

“Lovely!” He said, sounding rather pleased with himself. “I will take this one.” He motioned towards the shopkeeper, moving to hand over a small bag of coins.

“Pleasure doing business with you, sir!” The shopkeeper smiled, pocketing the money and promptly turning to address another customer.

Byleth moved to undo the clasp at the back of the necklace, when Seteth took hold of her writs.   
“Set-”  
“Keep it.” He said, still holding on to her. “It is for you, Byleth.” He explained, letting go of her wrists to cup her face instead, “I fear I may have misled you a little, dear professor. I have already made a gift for Flayn.”

Byleth blinked, “Y-you what?”

Seteth couldn’t help but laugh a little at her confusion, “Besides, I think- and I hope you do not think me presumptuous – that you quite prefer this color for yourself.”

Byleth quickly looked down at the charm on the necklace to confirm- and indeed it was the same shade of green in his eyes. She felt her cheeks warm and she looked back at him in disbelief. She couldn’t quite believe she’d fallen for such a simple trick. “Now I suppose I will have to do something sweet for you as well.” 

“You could come for dinner and we will call it even. Flayn has made it quite clear she prefers to eat with three or more people.” He said as a matter of factly. 

“That sounds lovely.”


End file.
